Sentinel: SENTINEL: Installing on two computers / one scanner

[Utahscan12]

Hello Everyone,

I've looked through all of the forums before I asked this question. Just got a SDS100. Want to install SENTINENTAL on my desktop in my office, and also on my laptop. Then, at times I would edit / update my scanner on whichever computer I want to use. I'm thinking each time I attach my scanner, it would read from my scanner, and all would be okay?

 

[n1chu]

Yes. But it does not automatically “read” from your scanner. You must first upload (read) what is residing on the scanner and then edit it as you see fit. And then save it (possibly using a date as part of the renaming process.) Then “write” back to your scanner, the new program.

 

[Utahscan12]

Yes. But it does not automatically “read” from your scanner. You must first upload (read) what is residing on the scanner and then edit it as you see fit. And then save it (possibly using a date as part of the renaming process.) Then “write” back to your scanner, the new program.

Hey Bill,

Sounds like a smooth process. You're saying ..... each time I connect my scanner to my 'COMPUTER / LAPTOP', just be sure to FIRST choose to Scanner / Read From Scanner. Then do any edits I would want. Then choose 'Scanner / Read to Scanner' and 'Safely remove Hardware' and the scanner will be updated. Like the idea of updating with the date in my renaming process.

Appreciate the input

 

[dave3825]

You're saying ..... each time I connect my scanner to my 'COMPUTER / LAPTOP', just be sure to FIRST choose to Scanner / Read From Scanner. Then do any edits I would want. Then choose 'Scanner / Read to Scanner' and 'Safely remove Hardware' and the scanner will be updated. Like the idea of updating with the date in my renaming process.

He is saying read scanner first, do any updates, then write back to the scanner. You have read the scanner twice in your reply.

 

[Brales60]

Make sure you write back to both computers any updates/changes. I use my work Alienware and cheap home Acer with Sentinel, no issues.

 

[Utahscan12]

He is saying read scanner first, do any updates, then write back to the scanner. You have read the scanner twice in your reply.

He is saying read scanner first, do any updates, then write back to the scanner. You have read the scanner twice in your reply.

Dave,

Correct me if I'm wrong, and further explain that you said " .... you have read the scanner twice in your reply" ? I copied this from my previous post:

You're saying ..... each time I connect my scanner to my 'COMPUTER / LAPTOP', just be sure to FIRST choose to Scanner / Read From Scanner. Then do any edits I would want. Then choose 'Scanner / Read to Scanner' and 'Safely remove Hardware' and the scanner will be updated. Like the idea of updating with the date in my renaming process.

I would agree there was a twice, but the 'first' read was when I first connected the scanner TO the computer and I wanted to update the SENTINENTAL software what I had done on the other computer. Then, after I made any updates or changes I would want to read TO the scanner so it would be current before I disconnected from computer?

Would this not be the correct way to do it ?

Thanks for any input

 

[gh6406]

Utahscan, you actually Read from and Write to the scanner.

 

[Utahscan12]

Utahscan, you actually Read from and Write to the scanner.

OOOOPSSS ..... you are right 'from' and 'to'.

"My Mistake"

 

[jtwalker]

I put my Sentinel data files on OneDrive and access from two computers, but not at same time.

 

[ofd8001]

Bear in mind that your laptop is using one version of the database and the office desktop has a second iteration. Kind of like composing a letter on one machine and sending it to the second machine, then later doing an edit. Unless you are careful to sync things, you may invite frustration.

Again what you want to do, can be done. But caution is needed so you don't wipe out important changes inadvertently.

 

[dave3825]

I have Sentinel on 2 pc's and a laptop. As long as I ALWAYS read from scanner, then write to the scanner, I have never had any issues. I generally don't update the full db every week. I only update it when I am going to travel and when I do, I update all 3 the same day.

 

[n1chu]

Remember, the weekly updated database first must be downloaded to your laptop/computer into the Sentinel software. Use Sentinel to do this. Once Sentinel has the entire updated database resident, you can edit or create new programming. After editing FL’s or creating a new one, the program you’ve been working on in Sentinel now needs to be written to the scanner. You will see in the Sentinel software, the ability to “Write” to the scanner and “Read” from the scanner. The last step is to “Write” to the scanner.

If you have Sentinel programming running on more than one computer just make sure you first “Read” your existing programming on the scanner into the Sentinel program. (I would rename this file with something like startingfile04-19-23.) Now edit that file to your liking and label this edited file endingfile04-19-23. You can get more creative naming your files but I’m just trying to instil the need to tag the files with something that tells them apart. The last step is to “Write” this newly edited file to the scanner.

Just pay extra attention to the direction in which data flows… “reading from” and “writing to” can confuse on occasion. In which case just give it a rest, go do something else and revisit later.

 

[n1chu]

Just to add… SD Cards…

I too have used two computers for my programming in the past, just like you are doing now. I have one SDS100 and a couple of the SDS200’s. All run the same programming. (I just use Butel ARC software for my routine changes.) One SDS200 resides at my home, the other in my truck along with the SDS100. While the SDS100 was easy to bring to either computer the SDS200 mobile, not so much. But the scanners all have interchangeable SD Cards. So all I really need to do is take the SD Card from the scanner and pop it into either computer. (When you attach your scanner to your computer, the computer sees the scanner as another drive. In my case, the D drive. Plugging in the SD Card instead of the scanner does the same thing. The computer sees either the scanner or its SD Card as the same drive. So, after getting the new updates from Radio Reference which you use to update your Sentinel or Butel programming, you simply plug in the SD Card into your computer and “write” to the card. Then unmount the card from the computer and plug it back into the scanner. Done. I have used 6 SD Cards when I was using the two computers, three installed in the scanners and three spares. Anytime I made changes I would install my programming on the three spare SD Cards and simply swap them out with the SD Cards in the three scanners! The only drawback to removing SD Cards is they are tiny. They get lost in your pockets and holding them between your upper and lower teeth doesn’t cut it either! So, keep the plastic storage or transport containers that came with the cards, it saves a lot of digging around in your pockets, digging out a card no bigger than your little fingernail!